“Template result” - do you mean status of automation? is it stored somewhere?
After a restart the value of these trigger templates:
value_template: '{{ state_attr(''sun.sun'', ''elevation'') }}'
Will be ‘unknown’ until the sun.sun integration updates.
As soon as sun.sun updates they will become some value. In this case -32°, triggering the automations.
I think the way around this is to create a template sensor for elevation. Then use the entity id of this sensor in a numeric state trigger (rather than a value template as you have now).
Template sensors are restored on restart (I think… I’m almost certain).
I have such sensors for my sonoff POW R2 values (current, energy etc) . Right after HA restart they all are set to ‘unknown’ . Then first MQTT msg arrives from the device to HA the sensors are updated with real values…
Yep. MQTT is a different kettle of fish. You can set the retain flag on those sensors (on the device that sends them) to fix that.
“Retain” is not a flag for sensor config but it should arrive as part of State msg. no?
Correct which is why I said:
You have to be careful what you set to retain though. See:
Just a related FYI:
Phil, any comment on the likely effectiveness of this?
We got sidetracked from the original problem (nothing to do with mqtt).
First, template sensors are not restored after a restart. They only update when the referenced entity or entities update(s.)
Regarding the template trigger, it would act the same was as a numeric_state trigger. The first update of the reference entity will cause it to evaluate, If true it will fire. After that it has to become not true, and then back to true to fire again.
So, not sure changing to a template sensor & using that in a trigger would matter. If you really don’t want that first transition to cause the automation to run:
condition:
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ trigger.from_state is not none }}"
2 Likes
Thanks. The only issue with that solution would be if there was a restart just before the trigger is due (less likely than the previous issue of restarting after sunset) which would cause a valid trigger to be missed.
Well. I have changed it to exam a sensor.sun_angle instead… will see.
But what worry me is the fact it happened first time for last 7 months I use these automation. I also was experimenting with home-assistant_v2.db yesterday, purging, deleting due to another issue
Could the changes in the db cause misfiring my shutter automation?
This is exactly what I pointed out to you many posts ago. You then went off on a tangent about mqtt.
Phil pointed out a solution that will work as long as you don’t restart within a few minutes of sunset.
Can not catch the None condition. I created a testing automation to see trigger states. But it is confusing.
- alias: sun angle below30 test
trigger:
platform: numeric_state
entity_id: sensor.solar_angle
below: 1.2
action:
service: persistent_notification.create
data_template:
message: >
Trigger from {{ states('trigger.from_state') }}
to {{ states('trigger.to_state') }}
sensor.solar_angle {{ states('sensor.solar_angle') }}
After a restart and fist change of solar_angle the trigger was fired and returned this msg
Trigger from unknown to unknown sensor.solar_angle 0.49
Why does it return from_state and to_state as unknown?
Don’t put the trigger variables in calls to the states function.
data_template:
message: >
Trigger from {{ trigger.from_state }}
to {{ states('trigger.to_state') }}
sensor.solar_angle_simulator- {{ states('sensor.solar_angle') }}
then it says:
- sun angle below30 test: Error executing script. Unexpected error for call_service at pos 1: Error rendering data template: UndefinedError: ‘trigger’ is undefined
Please don’t post snippets. Oftentimes the problem is in another part of the automation you didn’t see.
Going back to what you posted earlier, I meant to change it to this (I was replying from my phone so I couldn’t easily do this):
- alias: sun angle below30 test
trigger:
platform: numeric_state
entity_id: sensor.solar_angle
below: 1.2
action:
service: persistent_notification.create
data_template:
message: >
Trigger from {{ trigger.from_state }}
to {{ trigger.to_state }}
sensor.solar_angle {{ trigger.to_state.state }}
Got the msg from the automation right after the reboot. trigger.from_state is not None:
Trigger from <state sensor.solar_angle=-33.98; unit_of_measurement=degrees, friendly_name=Sun angle @ 2020-09-02T23:50:39.152834+02:00> to <state sensor.solar_angle=-34.77; unit_of_measurement=degrees, friendly_name=Sun angle @ 2020-09-03T00:09:02.196024+02:00> sensor.solar_angle -34.77
Also, I used sun.sun entity instead of a sensor. Seems Hassio restores last state and there is no None “state” for the trigger when it fires with a first change of elevation attribute.
Trigger from <state sun.sun=above_horizon; next_dawn=2020-09-04T03:35:02+00:00, next_dusk=2020-09-03T17:52:59+00:00, next_midnight=2020-09-03T22:42:50+00:00, next_noon=2020-09-04T10:42:58+00:00, next_rising=2020-09-04T04:06:40+00:00, next_setting=2020-09-03T17:21:15+00:00, elevation=43.24, azimuth=218.96, rising=False, friendly_name=Sun @ 2020-09-03T14:32:56.617650+02:00> to <state sun.sun=above_horizon; next_dawn=2020-09-04T03:35:02+00:00, next_dusk=2020-09-03T17:52:59+00:00, next_midnight=2020-09-03T22:42:50+00:00, next_noon=2020-09-04T10:42:58+00:00, next_rising=2020-09-04T04:06:40+00:00, next_setting=2020-09-03T17:21:15+00:00, elevation=42.81, azimuth=220.18, rising=False, friendly_name=Sun @ 2020-09-03T14:32:56.617650+02:00> sensor.solar_angle above_horizon
Just to close this ghost automation trigger case.
After a number of experiments the solution I found working to me is using condition as below. Also, in the automation I cannot use sun.sun attribute ‘elevation’ from trigger.from_state because it returns a data structure. As such I need to use a sensor.
- alias: Close all shutters
trigger:
platform: numeric_state
entity_id: sensor.solar_angle
below: -5
condition:
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ ((trigger.from_state.state)|float) > ((trigger.below)|float) }}"
action:
- service: cover.close_cover
entity_id: cover.window_shutter_00
Also, I find it very strange that there is no way to avoid execution of an automation right after HA reboot in standard way (for example, via some parameters). But I look at this rather as a bug because usage ‘elevation’ is in HA documentation with an example I copy-paste.